Sometimes it’s nice to begin a hike with a pleasant scene.

USFS trail 223 starts along the river at an elevation of about 2,400 feet, climbs up and over a small hill then proceeds up the river for another 7 or 8 miles. In their seasons, wildflowers along it are diverse and plentiful. Those included in this post are the late-season ones.

Evening Primrose (Oenothera villosa): the first one I had seen this year.

These bluebells are everywhere this time of year and I can seldom pass up a chance to photograph them.

As the trail enters the lower and most dense part of the forest, the color is intense.

The shade-loving Three-leaf Foamflower ~ Tiarella trifoliata

The berries of the Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridus) are just beginning to turn red.

I did mention that I love these bluebells, didn’t I?

Slender Hawkweed ~ Hieracium triste

The seed head of the Blue Clematis, (Clematis occidentalis)

I love the steeper parts of this trail: there is a small stream below.

Another flower which grows at just about all elevations, Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea).

These are the fruit of the Clasping Twisted-stalk (Streptopus amplexifolius) which is a plant that I have seen in only two locations. It is interesting because the flowers and fruit appear on the underside of the leaves.

Today I hiked the first couple of miles of the Munson Creek trail (from about 2,400 ft elevation to about 3,400 ft elevation) to see how the winter treated it. It was in very good condition, with a sprinkling of wildflowers all along, but only of some of the early blooming species were blooming. It is a steep and rather rough trail that is well worth hiking later in the summer when the valley is hot and the trail is cool and when there are dozens of species of wildflowers in bloom (and I will return later to see them). Here are a few photos of the trail and the flower species now in bloom along that stretch.